Hiking the JMT July 14th 2008

[kateness]

Does anyone have any thoughts on this time of year for the JMT? passes? weather? thanks for any info..
kateness

[SPeacock]

Here is what one hiker last year about this time mentions..

http://www.pcta.org/planning/during_tri ... asp?sect=H

A bit more snow cover is planned for late Spring this year than that hiker had however.

Two passes of some concern but depends when you get to them. Mather and Forester. The later you get there the less snow on approaches and top. Should be able to follow others footprints that have gone before you. You will be meeting north bound PCT thru hikers about then. Just plan on the delay of working your way through postholing in soft snow for short distances. Otherwise the weather should be mild with afternoon thundershowers so plan on not being on exposed trails high up in the afternoon. It could get as cold as 20F one of those nights. Daytime hiking temps should result in shorts and long sleeves. Keep 200 fleece handy when you stop for breaks you - might get chilled. Hooded jacket for nights also for mosquitoes.

Some creek fording will still be an adventure that time of year. Trek poles help out at times then.

Should be a fun trip.

[Mike M.]

Kateness, I say go for it! You might run into some snow on the high passes and high water on some stream crossings, but nothing you can't handle. Skeeters might be your biggest worry -- this timeframe will get you into the high country in prime skeeter season.

One of the advantages of getting into the high country a bit early in the season is that you will see far fewer people on the trail.

It is too early to tell just how much snow you might run into, but if there is a lot left on the ground, snow makes for some great photos. One of my most memorable hikes was a three week adventure in July of 1978. It was a really wet winter and all the passes were still snowed in when I hit the trail at Mosquito Flat, with 21+ days food on my back. Just past Ruby Lake, I ended up behind a work crew from a local stock outfit that was spreading tire shavings on the snow along the route up to Mono Pass (the idea was the tire shavings would speed up the snow melt and allow them to get stock over the pass). I plowed my way up the trail, walking on snow the entire way, finally passing the crew and camping just on the other side of the pass alongside a small stream. For the next week I did not see another soul. One of the most vivid memories from this trip was the hike up to Evolution Valley. It was clear of snow, but the water was so high, hikers were having trouble crossing the creek safely. I found a meadowy area where the creek was wide and waded across with water up to my chest. Snow covered the ground from Sapphire Lake up and the hike from Wanda Lake to Muir Pass was a slow, tedious grind over the hard packed, snow cupped landscape.

When I did come across other hikers, which was seldom, there was a great sense of comradeship and many great stories to tell.

Mike